


Warriors - The Failed Prophecy (New Prophecy AU)

by Raysplash



Series: Warriors - The Failed Prophecy [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Book Series: The New Prophecy, F/F, F/M, Gen, LGBT Cats (Warriors), M/M, Multi, Other, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Tribe of Rushing Water (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24190291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raysplash/pseuds/Raysplash
Summary: A Warriors AU where the journeying cats to the Sun-Drown-Place (Brambleflower, Squirrelpaw, Stormfur, Feathertail, Crowpaw, Tawnypelt) fail on their mission and die one by one. They never make it back to the forest, leaving it up to Leafpaw and her strange connection with StarClan to help guide the clan's to their new lake home. Contains spoilers for The Prophecies Begin. The warrior code here is more lenient about kit heritage. Adoption is not uncommon and many cats have outsider blood. Other ships will appear that aren't listed!
Relationships: Barley/Ravenpaw (Warriors), Brackenfur/Sorreltail (Warriors), Brightheart/Cloudtail (Warriors), Cinderpelt/ Sandstorm/ Firestar, Dustpelt/Ferncloud (Warriors), warriors - Relationship
Series: Warriors - The Failed Prophecy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745896
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Some characters who were not otherwise listed in the allegiances will be listed. Cats who died in The Prophecies Begin might be retconned and alive here. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or send me an ask @ Raysplash.tumblr.com !

**ThunderClan:**

Leader: Firestar - Ginger ticked tabby tom with green eyes

Deputy: Goldenflower - Pale golden tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Yellowfang - Eldery cryptic dark grey tortie molly with orange eyes and a broad, flattened face

Apprentice - Leafpaw: Small, light brown tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and paws and amber eyes

Warriors:

Mousefur - Small dusky brown she-cat with brown eyes

Apprentice: Spiderpaw: Lithe, long legged black tom with amber eyes and brown rusting

Longtail - Lithe chocolate-silver tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Dustpelt - Muscular dark brown tabby trans-tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw: Fluffy, dark ginger tabby she-cat with one white paw, fluffy tail, and green eyes

Sandstorm - Pale ginger she-cat with faint tabby stripes and green eyes

Cloudtail - Fluffy white tom with blue eyes

Brackenfur - Long legged golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Swiftpaw: Small, thick furred white she-cat with green eyes and sparse dilute calico spotting

Cinderheart - Small, dark grey smoke trans molly with blue eyes and a twisted hind leg

Thornclaw - Golden-brown tabby tom with pale blue eyes

Brightheart - Heavily scarred ginger and white she-cat with one blue eye

Brambleflower - Muscular dark golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Snowtail - Small, sturdy white demi-tom with light blue eyes, deaf

Apprentice: Shrewpaw: Small, dark brown tom with amber eyes

Ashfur - Lithe pale grey bengal tom with thick, short fur and dark blue eyes

Rainwhisker - Dark grey trans tom with blue eyes

Sootfur - Light grey tom with yellow eyes

Sorreltail - Muscular dilute calico she-cat with amber eyes and a white chest and paws

Queen/s:

Ferncloud - Fluffy light grey bengal queen with pale green eyes; adoptive mother of Birchkit (light brown tabby tom with amber eyes), Hollykit (brown tabby she-kit with amber eyes), and Larchkit (brown tabby she-kit with pale amber eyes)

Elder/s:

Frostfur - Beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes, deaf in one ear

Dappletail - Pretty, broad shouldered calico molly with amber eyes

Speckletail - Pale golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

  
  
  


**ShadowClan:**

Leader: Blackstar - Large black tom with large paws, amber eyes, and white vitiligo spotting

Deputy: Russetfur - Sleek, dark ginger tabby trans molly with dark green eyes

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud - Very small, brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Warriors:

Oakfur - Small, light brown tom with hazel eyes

Apprentice: Smokepaw - Dark grey tom with grey-blue eyes

Tawnypelt - Lean, tortoiseshell and white molly with green eyes

Cedarheart - Dark grey tom with gold eyes

Rowanclaw - Lithe, muscular dark ginger tabby trans tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Talonpaw - Pale grey tom with grey-blue eyes

Queen/s:

Tallpoppy - Long legged light brown tabby tom with pale green eyes; mother of Applekit (Dark brown spotted tabby she-kit with green eyes), Toadkit (Dark brown tom with dark green eyes), and Marshkit (Light brown tabby trans tom with pale green eyes)

Nightwing - Black she-cat with blue-green eyes, perma-queen

Elder/s:

Runningnose - Small grey and white tom with amber eyes

  
  
  


**WindClan** :

Leader: Tallstar - Eldery, thin black and white tuxedo tom with a long tail and amber eyes, former Moor Runner

Apprentice: Nightpaw - Muscular black she-cat with dark amber eyes

Deputy: Mudclaw - Wiry, dark brown spotted tabby tom with amber eyes, former Tunneller

Apprentice: Crowpaw - Dark grey smoke tom with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Barkface - Dark brown tom with a short tail and yellow eyes

Warriors:

Tornear - Wiry grey tabby tom with blue eyes, Moor Runner

Ashfoot - Broad-faced grey she-cat with blue eyes, Tunneller

Onewhisker - Small, lean pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes, Moor Runner

Smokebreeze - Soft furred grey she-cat with blue eyes, Tunneller

Webfoot - Wiry dark grey tabby tom with yellow-amber eyes, Moor Runner

Whitetail - Small white she-cat with icy-blue eyes, Moor Runner

Darksky - Big, muscular black tom with white vitiligo, blue eyes, and large paws, Tunneller

Queen/s:

Morningflower - Fawn tortoiseshell queen with amber eyes; perma-queen, former Moor Runner

  
  
  


**RiverClan:**

Leader: Leopardstar - Beautiful golden bengal trans molly with amber eyes

Deputy: Mistyfoot - Thick furred, dilute blue-grey cryptic tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and ice-blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Mudfur - Lean, long furred light brown tom with a paler belly and golden eyes

Apprentice: Mothwing - Beautiful, long furred lynx flame point she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors:

Blackclaw - Muscular black tom with long legs and tail and yellow eyes

Mosspelt - Tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

Heavystep - Thickset brown tabby tom with yellow-green eyes

Reedwhisker- Slender black tom with small ears and dark gray eyes

Primroseheart - Cinnamon she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Pikejaw - Dark grey spotted tabby cat with ice blue eyes

Stormfur - Dark grey tom with amber eyes

Feathertail - Beautiful silver tabby trans molly with blue eyes and a fluffy tail

Hawkfrost - Dark brown lynx point trans tom with ice blue eyes and a white underbelly and toes

Queen/s:

Dawnflower - Very pale grey spotted tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws and amber eyes; heavily pregnant

Elder/s:

Shadepelt - Very dark grey she-cat with green eyes

Loudbelly - Dark brown tom with blue-green eyes

  
  
  


**Cats Outside The Clans:**

Barley: Thick furred black and white tom with blue eyes; lives on the farm with Ravenpaw

Ravenpaw: Lanky black trans tom with a white dash on his chest and tail-tip, one green eye and one blue-ish purple eye; lives on the farm with Barley

Cherry: Ginger and white she-kit with yellow eyes; adopted daughter of Ravenpaw and Barley

Chestnut: Chocolate kit with white tuxedo markings and yellow eyes; adopted kit of Ravenpaw and Barley

Purdy: Dark brown tabby tom with a patchy pelt and yellow eyes; lives near the Sundown-Place


	2. Prologue One - Tawnypelt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Only They Had Burdock...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be slowly posting out the deaths of the travelling cats before the main story actually begins. There will be about five prologues in total. First up is Tawnypelt! One of my favorites. I'll miss her.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw had been gone for some time now. Leafpaw knew how worried her father and the other leaders were becoming with the missing warriors and now vanishing prey. WindClan had especially been struggling with the changes in the environment that they had once called home.

Now, to make matters worse, cats of all clans were going missing. At first, it seemed like it was just ShadowClan’s issue; there had been many cats admitting to taking two-leg food and then leaving to live warm and sheltered lives. Many harsh words were spoken of them from all clans.

No one was truly surprised in ThunderClan when Cloudtail went missing. Leafpaw had heard many stories of her uncle taking food from two-legs before when he was an apprentice, but Brightheart’s disappearance stopped cats in their tracks. She’d been busying herself with comforting Swiftpaw by evening and searching for Cloudtail whenever her daughter would be resting. One morning, the ginger and white cat just vanished. No trail, no signs, nothing. They were only the start.

Leafpaw prayed each night to her ancestors that the journeying cats would come home soon with a solution. The fear in ThunderClan’s camp was palpable. Swiftpaw slept in the medicine den; often waking from night terrors and needing consoling from herself or Yellowfang. Goldenflower and Firestar were working their tails off trying to keep the clan together and Leafpaw felt so much sympathy for her deputy and leader. She only wished she could tell them both the truth aside from ‘your children are safe’. 

Her connection with Squirrelpaw made it easier. Sometimes, her sister would be scared. Sometimes she’d be happy and peppy. Anger slipped through, as well.

This morning was different.

The night before, Leafpaw dreamt of millions of rats overtaking her and her clan-mates. This morning, she could only feel fear. Squirrelpaw was terrified. The rats, the fear… It had to be connected. 

“Yellowfang,” The light brown tortoiseshell shook her mentor awake. “Do we have any burdock root? I’ve been wondering if we should stock up.”

The elderly grey and cream tortie blinked her eyes open, the exhaustion in their depths making her heart pang with sympathy. She’d been working through so much. The fire that had nearly killed her caused her breathing difficulties and she’d been working herself sick making sure her clan was healthy. 

“Haven’t ya learned not to wake me yet, kiddo? Your father was the same way; constantly poking and prodding…” Yellowfang let out a raspy laugh. “One day you’ll get claws instead of words.” The ratty molly sat up and stretched before letting out a wheezing cough. “No, we don’t have any. Haven’t a need in moons.” 

Feeling disappointed, Leafpaw nodded before saying, “You should get back to sleep. You were up with Swiftpaw all last night.” She nodded at the white molly. “She’s asleep now. I’ll take care of her when she wakes.”

Yellowfang didn’t need much convincing. Leafpaw knew that her mentor didn’t have many moons left in her. She’d been through so much in her life. She fought harder than most to keep Cinderheart’s path on one of a warrior after her injury and worked night and day to keep Brightheart alive. As the thin cat lay back down in her nest, Leafpaw quickly scurried away. She needed the burdock root. For whoever was sick.

\-  \-  -

By the time she made it back to her nest, Leafpaw felt as though she was going to fall asleep on her paws. Flopping over, she closed her eyes and was almost immediately asleep.

_ Through the eyes of a small cat, she saw Feathertail, Stormfur, and Brambleflower encircling a tortoiseshell and white form. Crowpaw was a few tail-lengths away, seeming to be keeping watch. Now she understood, though. _

_ Tawnypelt was writhing in pain; clearly not conscious anymore. Leafpaw knew that if she were to lay a paw on her muscular form, she’d feel her practically burning with fever. On her shoulder was the nastiest looking rat bite she’d ever seen.  _

_ As she fought for breath, Squirrelpaw moved to press her fur against Brambleflower’s side. She murmured a few words of sympathy to the older cat before he snapped at her, causing her to flinch and stalk away to join Crowpaw.  _

_ Behind her, she heard a long and drawn out wail of grief from Brambleflower as one last breath rattled out of Tawnypelt’s body. The infection had claimed her life. She’d never be returning to the forest. _

_ “Leafpaw…” The voice was quiet and she swore it was Squirrelpaw’s… _

- - -

“Leafpaw!” 

Paws shook her awake and she let out a surprised yelp as she blinked her eyes open, surprised to find herself back in her own body.

Firestar’s next words struck her deeper than any wound possibly could.

“I can’t wake Yellowfang!”


	3. Prologue Two - Brambleflower Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say flowers float and squirrels can fly, but the seas are unforgiving and care not for the laws of the rivers.

She knew they were distressed. She could feel Leafpaw’s fear. The hunger. The sorrow. Yet, the ginger cat felt helpless. She was not one of the prophecy. She could only watch as the cats she set off with almost a moon ago now mourned the loss of their own. Feathertail and Stormfur were always close to Brambleflower and Tawnypelt and viewed them as siblings of their own. They were taking her loss as badly as the tortoiseshell’s brother. Squirrelpaw understood, of course. They were all suckled alongside each other for some time by the deputy, Goldenflower, while the clans sorted out where the two half clan kittens should go. From what she had heard, none of the kittens had taken the loss of their foster-littermates well. 

Squirrelpaw sat with Crowpaw, who had begun to become a bit of a friend to her. They were both outcasts in this group. Sure, she knew Brambleflower well but as the only two apprentices, they weren’t taken seriously. It was comforting to have a friend, especially now. 

“If only Purdy stuck around a bit longer…” The ginger molly murmured, staring down at her paws. Crowpaw, surprisingly, gave his grunt of agreement. The old tabby left them not long after Tawnypelt had succumbed to her infected rat bites, pointing them in the direction of where they needed to go and heading back to the twolegs that fed him.

She wished so desperately that she could tell the other cats about what was going on at the forest without being brushed aside as a needy and bratty apprentice. Squirrelpaw could feel her sister’s hunger pangs when she curled up to sleep at night. She knew that their clans were losing cats; be it to hunger or other forces, she didn’t know. Her nightmares filled her with dread and she often woke up biting her tongue to keep from crying out and waking the others. 

_‘If only I was one of the chosen cats,’_ She thought bitterly. They’d have no choice but to listen to her then.

Movement from beside her nearly made her jump out of her fur as she turned to see Crowpaw, now standing, scenting the air. Before she could even open her jaws and ask what had caught the lanky grey-black cat’s attention, he was already speaking. 

“I can smell salt.”

This seemed to catch the attention of the other cats; Brambleflower bounded over with Stormfur and Feathertail close behind. Crowpaw was the one cat who had been chosen who hadn’t gotten his ‘saltwater sign’, as they called it. Squirrelpaw felt a pang of jealousy before realizing what this meant for him and  _ all _ of them. 

Feathertail took the words right out of her mouth. “StarClan must be urging us on.” She meowed, glancing at the remaining cats. With a softer look towards Brambleflower, she added, “We won’t forget Tawnypelt. We have to take this path back home and we’ll have time to stop and pay respects one last time. This is urgent, Brambleflower. We can’t let anything happen to our clan-mates.”

Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw exchanged a glance. Thank StarClan someone was taking charge. The golden tabby had been the previous leader of their ragtag gang of travellers, but with the loss of his sister he’d become closed off and bitter. His amber eyes were full of sorrow as he gazed back at the still freshly turned dirt that held his sister’s body and the ginger apprentice could almost  _ feel _ the patrol brace for his retort. But he didn’t speak. Brambleflower simply nodded his head.

It was time to move on.

Crowpaw took the lead, having been given the last sign that they needed to find this “midnight” that their ancestors had told them about. Squirrelpaw and Stormfur hung back, letting the chosen lead the march. Thankfully, the sign seemed to be leading them in the direction Purdy told them the Sundrown Place would be. At least that old tabby had some sense in his rattled brain. 

The path took them out of the cover of trees and into a field of grass that almost hid Squirrelpaw from view. She could tell from her companions annoyed snorts and hisses that they were having the same issues seeing as she so felt a tad smug about that. Brambleflower’s tabby pelt seemed to melt into the golden-brown grasses and she could only imagine that her own blended in about the same. There was no cow, sheep, or twoleg scent to be found, so the patrol let their guard down for the time being. 

A sharp tang hit Squirrelpaw like claws on her nose and she quickly turned to Stormfur. “Do you smell that?” She hissed under her breath as she wrinkled her nose to try to keep her eyes from watering. The grey cat had stopped to rub at his own eyes, nodding. They seemed to be the only two cats put off by this, as the trio before them took off running. 

“It’s the sign!” Crowpaw yowled proudly, “We’re almost-”

A sharp yowl split the air as the two cats tailing the patrol broke free of the grasses, having to dig their claws into loose earth to keep from falling off a sudden ledge. Below them, there was a vast expanse of roaring water that seemed to claw at the land. The apprentice could only imagine that this would be what all of LionClan would’ve sounded like. 

Her daze was cut short by Feathertail frantically pulling Crowpaw back up from where he’d about vanished off the cliff face. Seeing this, a realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. 

“Where is Brambleflower!?” She screeched, dashing forward and gazing over the sheer drop.

Feathertail, breathless as she dropped Crowpaw back on solid ground, looked distraught. “I could only grab one of them! He was too big and heavy, I-I had to choose Crowpaw!”

Before Squirrelpaw could retort, a cut-off yowl from below caught her attention. In the fierce waters, she spotted a soaked golden-brown form. ‘Brambleflower.’ The apprentice knew that, as a ThunderClan cat, neither she nor him knew how to swim. But something else in her stirred. She wouldn’t sit back and watch another cat die.

The ginger cat launched herself off the edge of the land and into the endless water below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter, but a two parter! I only had this bit done but I'll hopefully have the second part out in a few days if not sooner!


End file.
